Folk musician Charlie Parr performs at MPR studios

With his long hair, small glasses and flannel-and-boots wardrobe, Charlie Parr exudes a folk music look. It's no shtick. His music is the real deal.

Parr recently stopped by the MPR studios for a performance and conversation with The Daily Circuit. He performed tracks from Barnswallow, a new album he plans to release in February. He also played a song that is now part of a new exhibit at the Minnesota History Center in St. Paul.

Parr, a native of Austin, Minn., now lives in Duluth. He plays three instruments - a banjo and two guitars (a 12-string and Resonator, both Nationals) - and performs often around Minnesota and the Upper Midwest, including a regular gig at Fitger's in Duluth.

During his conversation with The Daily Circuit, Parr spoke about the Duluth music scene and his childhood in Austin as the son of two Hormel plant workers, including his recollections of the 1985 Hormel strike.

"Sometimes it feels like Charlie Parr is already dead. Maybe it's because his recordings sound older than dirt and twice as gritty, or it could be his intrinsic obsession with mortality. Maybe it's because his music is just plain haunting."